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About Daniel Morgenstern

Both musicians, and retired CEO (Daniel) and Lawyer (Polly) have a great love of the outdoors and adventure. They have chosen Durango as the place they most wanted to live in, and continue their adventures in the great mountain west and around the globe.

Daniel Morgenstern purchased this house in 2000

Why Daniel Morgenstern chose Durango

Having been privileged to travel extensively throughout the United States and much of the world, we found Durango to be the BEST place we could choose to live in. Because we keep traveling in our motor home etc, our lovely home is available for guests to rent while we are out adventuring further.

What makes this house unique

In this day and age, natural beauty and the privacy to enjoy it without intrusion is a rare benefit amply provided by our beautiful mountain home.

Guestbook comments from the owner

ALL 12 families that rented our house in 2009 including multigenerational groups from toddlers to seniors LOVED their time in our home and had a fabulous time enjoying all the wonderful attractions Durango has to offer from here! We had many weekly guests including guests from Great Britain and one family that stayed for a month and had their families visit them here too! EVERYBODY FOUND OUR HOUSE TO BE THE PERFECT DURANGO VACATION RETREAT!

(10 traveler reviews)

Home in Need of TLC at This Price

We rented this home for 30 days. Upon arrival, we bought some food for the first night to find a very dirty oven and barbecue. The owners left food and booze in the freezer which was not clean. We moved their food to the garage refrigerator to find two exploded coke cans and a sticky mess. Not a great way to start the week.

While the kitchen has nice appliances and a nice granite counter top, the cabinets are in need of refinishing. The varnish has worn off over the years and they appear very dirty. Additionally the cabinet interiors were not clean (my wife had to wash the silverware holder). This is somewhat typical of most of the house as it seems to need some decent TLC.

The owners have a lot of stuff everywhere. It is organized, but it makes it difficult to find places for your belongings. They provided a few drawers in the bedrooms, but the furniture is old, banged up and dingy. For the most part, we lived out of our suitcases. The couch in the family room was covered in cat fur and the living room chairs were worn and dirty.

A week in my wife was stung by a hornet. There were a dozen or so hornets nests in the eaves. A trip to Walmart for some spray.

The owners require you to put the trash out. No big deal. Well, that entails using the owner's jeep and tying the trash can to the trailer hitch and literally dragging it on its side down a 1000 foot gravel driveway to the highway.

One night midway through our stay, our friends were sleeping in the guestroom and the bed crashed to the floor. It was an old wood bed and the joints were no longer holding together.

Then the next day the water went out. After suggesting that we could go to Home Depot to buy a new filter and go under the house to replace it, the owner sent out the well guys. We spent the better part of the next day as they troubleshot the problem. The entry under the house is in a small pantry where there were mouse droppings. We bought some traps and caught the mouse.

Because of all these issues we decided to leave early. The owners were unwilling to work with us as we rented it for 30 days and that was that. No compensation for no water, etc. We did get a reduced rate for a 30 day rental as is fairly customary for long term rentals. Still we spent a lot for the 30 days. The owners continued to say that the house is exquisite and immaculately clean despite all this.

For the price we paid there were simply too many issues.

Submitted: Aug 1, 2017

Stayed: June 2017

Source: HomeAway

Owner's Response: Nine years of happy guests and we finally had one who probably would complain about the Ritz. They must not have read the materials we sent them before they booked which explained most of the systems they complained about. They received a steep discount for their long stay and still complained about the price! Nothing we tried or offered made them happy! PLEASE SEE THE MAJORITY OF OUR POSITIVE REVIEWS INCLUDING THOSE FROM REPEAT VISITORS!

We had a fabulous time. We hope to visit again soon.

We had a fabulous time staying in your beautiful home. We were able to kick back and relax. Early morning and evenings were nice relaxing on the outside deck watching the birds and the deer come up so close. I did stress out some with all the amazing things you have in your home when my smaller grandchildren would play, but all in all we had an amazing time.

Submitted: Jul 27, 2016

Stayed: July 2016

Source: HomeAway

Owner's Response: The house is kid friendly and the harpsichords kid tested, so we don't worry about the kids and our things!

Pleasant Mountain Home

This was the second summer we rented this home. We had five adults and two children with plenty of space and activities for everyone. The location is quiet and secluded, yet within easy driving distance of Durango. The owners provided excellent recommendations on local activities and amenities. We felt very welcome in this home.

Submitted: Aug 6, 2015

Stayed: July 2015

Source: VRBO, from HomeAway

Owner's Response: The increasing number of return visitors confirms that our home is a great choice for your vacation! We believe it outshines all the barebones condos and the majority of private homes available. Return visitors prove it!

Beautiful Home

We spend 4 nights in this home in June 2015, but wish we had stayed longer. We had a great time. The delightful homeowners were easy to get in touch with and promptly answered any questions we had. The home sits just a short drive from Durango, but is on large enough property that you really get a sense of privacy. We hope to return next year.

Submitted: Jun 15, 2015

Stayed: June 2015

Source: VRBO, from HomeAway

Owner's Response: We wish all our guests would stay longer for their enjoyment of our GREAT destination, (and NOT for our benefit)!

Great home, wonderful location!

We enjoyed staying in this beautiful, spacious home for a fun filled sibling reunion. Loved the outdoor decks where we enjoyed having breakfast and dinners, looking out over the mountains and meadows. I loved the hummingbirds which flocked to the feeders on the deck.

All rooms are very nicely decorated and furnished. Kitchen has high end appliances. We were there in July, and had perfect weather....never needed the air conditioning, just opened windows to enjoy the cool, fresh air. Great location. We went to Mesa Verde one day. Rode the Narrow Gauge railway another day. The owners were great to work with. They even provided a detailed list of places to visit and nearby restaurants. Their list included hikes and even their favorite picnic spot, which we went to for a picnic and were in awe of the gorgeous site. Overall, it was a perfect vacation and we would all highly recommend this home. We hope to return someday soon!

Mixed review

The owner was pleasant to deal with. The house and location were as advertised. The hot tub and pool were nice to have. The closets, drawers and refrigerator were full of the owners clothes, belongings and food. The result is that six of us lived out of our suitcases. NOT why I rented a house.

Submitted: Aug 5, 2014

Stayed: July 2014

Source: VRBO, from HomeAway

Owner's Response: The guests failed to notice empty drawers and closet space provided in every room. As a matter of policy, we leave food in the fridge for guests to use or toss. We are sorry the guests didn't contact us with their concerns during their visit!

Photos

Availability

Available

Unavailable

Updated:

Mar 18, 2018

Additional information about rental rates

Cleaning Fee

$175

Refundable damage deposit

$200

Tax Rate

6.8%

Guest agree to accept the terms of our maintenance instructions by renting our home and will be held responsible for any damages or losses. Guests acknowledge that we are NOT liable for any injuries or losses that result from the rental and use of our home. We prefer a 5 night rental but are open to 4.

Owner's Cancellation Policy

50% refund if canceled at least 30 days before arrival date.

100% refund if canceled at least 60 days before arrival date.

Service Fee fully refunded on cancellations that qualify for 100% refund.